Electronic products typically have electrical circuitry implemented on a circuit substrate, such as a printed circuit board. The performance of the circuitry may be adversely affected by factors such as electromagnetic interference (EMI), radio frequency interference (RFI), electrostatic discharge (ESD), and environmental elements. The sources of interference may be internal or external to the product. For example, many electrical components emit radio frequency (RF) signals which may adversely affect the operation of other portions of the circuitry. Moreover, these RF signals may cause interference for other electronic devices operating nearby. A product designer may incorporate shields, or other protective devices, to protect critical portions of the circuitry, or specific components.
In addition to shielding, heat sinking of components must also be addressed in products utilizing heat dissipating components, such as power amplifiers. Proper grounding is also essential to achieving reliable shielding and heat sinking capabilities. The challenge of maintaining proper grounding along with proper shielding and heat sinking is significant when dealing with portable communication devices, such as battery operated portable radios, where space constraints, weight and cost are critical to the overall product design.
Accordingly, it would be beneficial to have an assembly that overcomes the aforementioned problems.
Skilled artisans will appreciate that elements in the figures are illustrated for simplicity and clarity and have not necessarily been drawn to scale. For example, the dimensions of some of the elements in the figures may be exaggerated relative to other elements to help to improve understanding of embodiments of the present invention.
The apparatus and method components have been represented where appropriate by conventional symbols in the drawings, showing only those specific details that are pertinent to understanding the embodiments of the present invention so as not to obscure the disclosure with details that will be readily apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art having the benefit of the description herein.